Cold Waters
by Lillian Jade
Summary: What happens when Team Natsu goes to the beach, Natsu and Erza go to get food, Lucy disappears while swimming, and a body washes up on shore? Well, that's a great question... GrayLu week prompt one: Breathe.


**Hello and welcome to my first GrayLu week story! *cue confetti* So, for those that don't know, this week is GrayLu week, and today's prompt was "Breathe." Our challenge, as the authors, is to write a story revolving around that word. So, without further ado, voila.**

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**Cold Waters**

The beach. A usually enjoyable place, unless it was 90 degrees and you're Gray Fullbuster. So while Natsu, Erza, and Lucy were splashing each other in the water, Gray was sulking in the shade, surrounding himself with ice. He instinctively reached for his shirt. Wait, there wasn't a shirt there. He remembered that he was in is swimsuit, not normal clothes. He groaned. When would this torture end?

"Gray? Aren't you going to join us?" Gray looked up at the voice. Lucy.

"I don't think so. I'm just going to stay in the shade." Gray replied. Lucy frowned.

"Come on. It's not as fun without the whole team though!" Lucy pouted.

Gray sighed. "Fine. Only for a little while though."

"Yay!" Lucy squealed before running back to the ocean, pulling a stumbling Gray behind her. Gray grumbled something unhappily about being in the heat before reluctantly entering the water.

"Gray! The water's fine!" yelled Lucy, already 10 feet away from the shore, Natsu and Erza alongside her.

"Hey, Popsicle, it's about time you came in!" Natsu taunted. Gray scowled. He only came into the water because Lucy asked.

"Oh yeah flame brain? Maybe I wanted to be as far away from you as possible!" Gray retorted.

Natsu glared at Gray. Gray glared right back. If looks could kill, they'd be killing each other. "Don't tell me you guys are fighting. I don't want us to go back early." Erza entered. Natsu and Gray wrapped their arms around each others shoulders. "No ma'am!" They responded in unison. Erza nodded. Lucy just sighed.

"I'm hungry!" Natsu howled, breathing fire, scaring the innocent tourists around them. Erza pulled his arm. "Then get some food." She said to him. Natsu curtly nodded, before turning to shore. Before he could get far, Erza said, "Not so fast." Natsu paused. "I don't want you destroying anything. I'm coming with you." Natsu gulped.

Erza turned to Gray and Lucy. "You guys can keep swimming. I'll go with Natsu to get some food." With that, she and Natsu went to shore for food.

Gray turned to Lucy. "Can I-"

"No." Was all she said back.

"What? You didn't even hear what I "wanted."

"Well I knew you want to go to shore. The answer is no."

Gray scowled. He looked at Lucy, about to plead and lose his dignity, but he decided against it. She was looking so cute today... _What are you thinking Gray?_ He thought to himself. _Don't lose your cool now._

Lucy looked at him. "What do you want to do now?"

Gray quickly responded. "Go back to the shade, surrounded by ice."

Lucy shook her head. "Nope. Try again."

Gray glowered. "Fine. Swim around."

Lucy clapped her hands. She sarcastically said in return. "Ding. Correct. Now, catch me if you can!" She slipped beneath the water and darted away.

Gray groaned, but swam after her. It didn't take long for him to catch her. "Come on. That's cheating if you run on top of the water!" She pushed herself away from him and swam off again, and Gray followed. This went on for many rounds, until one round it took longer to catch Lucy.

Where was she? He couldn't find her. Maybe she was hiding from him, as a joke. Or, maybe she has to go to the bathroom, and wasn't back yet. Or, maybe she was with Erza and Natsu buying food.

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Meanwhile, at the long line for food...

"Why is the line so long!" Natsu angrily yelled.

Erza groaned. "Because it's around lunch time and people are hungry!"

Natsu whined, "But I'm hungry!"

"Just wait like any other person!" Erza droned and ignored Natsu from then on.

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Gray decided not to worry about it much, and swam around in search of her a little more. When she didn't appear within 5 minutes, Gray began to worry. What if... She drowned, and Gray didn't know? It would crush the guild. He took a large breath of air and dove under, to search for Lucy. After searching a bit, he found something. Her keys. This made his heart sink, knowing she was helpless, wherever she was. Unlike his usual calm and collected self, Gray began to panic about his nakama. What if she had drowned? What would the guild do? What would he do? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. After searching for another minute, Gray heard a voice from the shore. "A body! A body washed up on shore!"

Gray rushed to shore, to see if it was Lucy. He didn't want it to be, as she would likely be dead. But, as he grew closer, his heart sunk. First he saw the blonde hair, then the overly busty chest, and then the Fairy Tail symbol on her hand. 'No.' Gray thought. 'It can't be. Lucy was swimming, breathing a while ago. She can't be dead! She can't be!'

Gray pushed through the large crowd the formed around Lucy. "Move!" He yelled, scrambling frantically to her side. He checked for breathing. None. Then for a pulse. Also none. "Lucy! Breathe! Please. Breathe." He was beginning to cry, which was uncommon for the ice mage.

"It's no use." A voice said from behind him. "She's as good as dead." Gray turned to see the lifeguard, shrugging at him. "I removed the water from her lungs, she just won't breathe. There's nothing I can do. Sorry dude."

Gray froze. Dead. No. She can't be dead. She can't. He still didn't tell her that he...that he... "Lucy! I-I haven't told you that I-"

Then he opened his eyes, seeing the guild around him and realizing that she wasn't dead, as she was sitting right next to him. "Gray? Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Gray immediately hugged Lucy, which startled Lucy greatly. "You're alive! You're alive!"

Lucy awkwardly patted Gray. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be? It's not like I drowned or something."

Gray let to and guiltily laughed. "Yeah, nothing like that... Nothing like that at all..."

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**LILY-CHAN'S LA-LA LAND :D**

**Hello people of the GrayLu (And, well, Fairy Tail) fandom. As stated earlier, this is my first submission for GrayLu week, for the prompt Breathe. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. If so, please favorite this or leave a nice review. Reviews are always appreciated. If you didn't like it, leave a review if you have the chance to saying what you disliked. So, until next time readers!**

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_As a poor act of advertising, please read my stories, _The Resistance, My Prince... Wait, There's 5?!, _and_ Of Monsters and Men. _Danke!_


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